Reptile Ring Busted

Working on an anonymous tip, investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) busted a Palm Beach County reptile store for selling pythons illegally.

Mark Bavosa, 45, of Boynton Beach, owner of Reptiles Plus Inc. in Lake Worth, was charged with two misdemeanors – illegal sale of a reptile of concern (ROC) to an unpermitted person and improper caging. Bavosa also received a warning for failing to keep proper inventory of reptiles of concern.

In addition, officers issued warnings to two of his employees for selling reptiles of concern to unpermitted people.

Undercover FWC investigators visited the store Tuesday and inquired about purchasing pythons.  Bavosa told the officers that two pythons, a reticulated python and a Burmese python, were available for sale and that both snakes were dropped off to his store by someone who did not want them anymore.

Bavosa asked the undercover investigator if he had the proper permit to possess an ROC, and the investigator said he did not, but Bavosa sold the pythons to him anyway for $250.  The FWC turned the snakes over to a permitted captive wildlife facility.  The snakes did not have the required microchips.

Under an executive order issued this month, ROCs can be turned over to authorized reptile of concern permit holders with no questions asked.

“We take ROC amnesty seriously,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto.  “The owner of this pet store acted irresponsibly when he failed to report to the FWC that he accepted these unwanted pets in the first place.  Then, he let us down by selling the pythons under the table to an unpermitted person.”

Eugene Bessette, a representative from the state’s reptile industry, said, “The reptile industry has no tolerance for anyone taking advantage of the FWC’s amnesty program by selling ROCs to unpermitted individuals.  The vast majority of people with licenses to possess these reptiles appreciate the importance of abiding by Florida’s regulations.”

Reptiles of concern must be licensed by FWC’s Captive Wildlife Section to be kept as pets. The license costs $100 per year and mandates specific caging requirements. All ROCs more than 2 inches in diameter must be implanted with a microchip that identifies the animal.  It is unlawful to allow one to escape or to release one into the wild.